The LoL PARK esports stadium, focusing on famed video game League of Legends, is opening in South Korea. The stadium developed byRiot Games - the company behind League of Legends (LoL) - is set to be fully functional in January 2019. The complex includes a 500-seat stadium, a fan meeting zone, a 24-hour PC bang (the South Korean term for internet cafe) and a hall of fame featuring jerseys and 3D-printed miniatures of accomplished League of Legends pros. This month, LoL PARK hosted the 2018 League of Legends World Championships.

There might be a few business professionals out there that still aren’t taking esports seriously. Although we sincerely hope nobody in our audience is one of them! If you have any colleagues who remain unconvinced, then share this development with them. Or the recently-opened similar venue in Canada. Or that Mastercard recently became the first global sponsor of the LoL Global events with a three-year deal. Or Coutts – famously bankers to the Queen of England – are now courting esports millionaires. Or indeed any of the other related innovations featured in our recent report on the State of Play!

Why all the activity? We live in an attention economy and esports is where the eyeballs are: 380 million viewers now support a near-billion dollar (and rapidly growing!) industry. How will you ride the esports wave?